WARSAW (Reuters) - Changes to Poland’s electoral code approved by parliament on Thursday threaten the election process by introducing large new powers of the interior minister in overseeing elections, head of the State Electoral Commission (PKW) said.

Wojciech Hermelinski told reporters that the bill approved by the lower chamber of parliament will “incapacitate” the PKW.

“De facto the minister will take decisions, not us,” he told a press conference, adding the bill threatened the whole election process.